It is a beautiful morning that promises those wonderful reflective views that I’d enjoyed so much during some of the earlier legs, that characterised much of this experience.

Shortly after starting I pass Pinfold Marina, where there are lots of barges moored up for the winter. There are still the odd one or two floating apparently effortless along the canal.  Autumn colour hangs over the canal where ever its tree lined, however this early stretch of canal has miles of reeds that have grown tall on the bank opposite the tow path.

I then have the most amazing experience as hundreds of geese screech over head in a massive flock that fragments into many v formations before landing in fields on the other side of the canal.  The picture does not do justice to the thousands of birds on the stubble – its probably only a tenth of them.  I’m told later that these were Greylag Geese.

Whilst on my side of the canal is a field of Kale that makes my veg bed effort look pitiful and a field full of Canada Geese.  The walk continues with the usual canal scenes and the marker showing just 10 more to go.

There are a number of heron on the walk, which show no fear of Sophie often waiting til she has stalked to within a few feet before gracefully flying off, and on one such occasion I manage to snap the initial take off flap.

Just after that marker post I pass the first famous Liverpool landmark on this walk – the Aintree race course.  Not the greatest views as trees and fences hid much of it, however I pass under the Melling Road bridge where lunch is taken.  A row of keeping up with the Jones decks catch my attention as do the massive cranes in the distance that mark the container dock.

As I now enter the city, it is not surprising to see the usual warehouse sights lining the canal, some still unused, a memory jog to the vibrancy that once embraced the canal and some now converted to flats that means there is still life here, even if one does look more like an ocean going liner rather than a canal warehouse these days.

The last few miles is noted by many bridges before getting to the current end of the canal at Eldonian Basin.  The original canal carried on a further three quarters of a mile, but now filled in and built over.

The end of my adventure is to retrace steps to the Stanley dock branch and a walk into Liverpool centre via the impressive docks lining the estuary – its amazing the size of these areas, mainly filled in now.

The end of the walk is at Liverpool Central station for the train back to Ormskirk and then a Bus to Heatons Bridge.  A minor hiccup is the lack of a bus, but a short taxi ride is a better than adequate replacement.

This walk from Leeds to Liverpool is fantastic and I would recommend doing any of the stages in smaller or longer steps than I did, just to experience a journey through such an important part of the north of England’s industrial development and great picturesque vistas.

Route Summary

Published by rtemplar